The Fault In Fairytales
by horse-crazy girl13
Summary: A spinoff of my story Cinderella. "It started with a class debate. One winner, one loser. Two dorks. Just a little competition. Little did I know it it would turn into so much more." In which Annabeth Chase, with the help of a certain Percy Jackson, discovers the reality of life, and the truth that fairytales seem to ignore.
1. PrologueChapter 1

**Yes, I really am doing a redo of my redo of my story Cinderella. Mostly because I woke up one day, and was staring at my old Redux document thinking, "Well, sh*t. I am literally writing an exact copy of the original but with better vocabularly. If I'm going to waste my life, it might as well be worth it." Thus, forming a completely different version that if you don't like, well, go eat a lollipop or something. I have a HUGE note at the bottom explaining everything!**

**Happy Reading!**

* * *

Here's my problem with fairytales: they are so beyond misleading that I'm almost ashamed of the people who wrote them. Fairytales tell little kids that they are princes and princesses. They convince children that they'll get their own happy ending. These stories never tell them of the harsh reality that is life.

I get that everyone wants to believe in a happily ever after in which the princess goes hand in hand with Prince Charming, skipping through a field of dandelions with cutesy background music and a bright light shining on the path. I understand the need to believe that good things will happen to good people.

The thing is, life so rarely turns out that way. Fairytales very blatantly ignore the truth in life that is so called reality. And the thing about reality is that it sucks.

So this is what I think kids should learn early on in life: had these "fairytales" been real, Cinderella would have gotten caught before she could go to the ball, and would have had to spend the rest of her days slaving for her stepmom. Sleeping Beauty and her kingdom would have been left in a deep slumber for the rest of eternity, and Snow White would have been captured and killed.

That's it. The end. No holding hands with Prince Charming while frolicking through fields of dandelions, no sweet chiming music in the background, no bright lights, and definitely none of that "...And they lived happily ever after..." nonsense. Such is the reality of life, which is what everyone should learn early on to avoid dream-like expectations being broken, and hearts being shattered by guys who are the complete opposite of Prince Charming.

I suppose most people would say it's very callous of me to say that, and I certainly would have agreed about one and a half years ago. Now, I regret not knowing just how far away life is from magical paradise.

So let's turn the clock back in time to my sophomore year of high school. Guys weren't a big part of my life, and dating had never really been my thing. I suppose somewhere in my heart I longed for some sort of relationship, but I had since decided to wait until college to start looking for a boyfriend anyway.

Of course, being low on the social pyramid didn't help much. I didn't really mind, though. I had about three good, trusted friends, and that's all I really needed. That's all my heart would allow.

Anywho, it all started in that year. It started with a class debate to be more specific. One winner, one loser. Two dorks. Just a little competition. I certainly didn't know then that it was the start of a whole bigger picture. It was merely a piece in a much bigger puzzle to which I didn't know what the picture would be...

* * *

"...is a part of human nature. That said, justice is always there, whether injustice is created or not," I stated, effectively finishing my argument. A thoughtful silence met my statement.

"Would anyone like to respond to that?" Mr. Brunner asked. At first, nobody responded. Nobody ever did. This is precisely why I was shocked when I saw the silhoutte of someone in the back of the room stand up and walk to the front to face me.

To be honest, I didn't even know the kid's name. He always sat in the back, and from what I knew, he had only been at the school for about two weeks. He always sat in the back and seemed to avoid people in general. As far as I could remember, I'd never even heard the guy talk before. But something in his posture seemed to scream confidence, and it irked me to no end. Things were about to get interesting.

"Percy," Mr. Brunner acknowledged with a hint of surprise.

So Percy was his name. It was a very strange name, but it somehow fit him. He had bright sea-green eyes with black raven hair that hung slightly over his eyes. He had a well-built physique, and quite frankly, he was hot. I was surprised not to have noticed him before.

He cleared his throat, and I looked up, realizing I had been staring. I slight blush made its way to my cheeks, and Percy gave me a knowing smirk before speaking to me.

"So let me get this clear. You're saying that fairness and justice are both things that are unalienable concepts that exist irrespective of environment, kind of like love or fear. Am I right?" He quirked and eyebrow at me, his whole body radiating an infuriating amount of confidence. I had to beat this kid.

"Correct," I responded formally.

"Well, I have to disagree on that. From what I can tell, you're saying that notions such as love, justice, kindness, fear, etc. are fundamentally grounded in a supposed 'human nature'. But in my view, those notions are predominantly, historically, and socially contingent, and are a product of class structures in society. As such, justice cannot exist in a classless society."

He pausedm wearing a smug look on his face, as if he knew his argument was a good one. And it was, but his smugness was pissing me off, and my mind was already reeling ahead, knowing exactly what to say next.

I could sense the tension the room; it was like everybody was holding their breath. Very few people had ever dared to challenge me in a debate, and the ones who did were quite easily crushed. I fixed Percy with a steady stare and continued on with my side of the argument.

"That's where you are wrong. To me, justice is synonymous with fairness. Fairness - as well as love, fair, or kindness - is universal and exists regardless of the type of society we live in."

"I disagree," Percy quickly cut in. "Justice only has meaning when injustice is created in a class society. Kind of like that 'without pain, we couldn't know joy' saying. Joy only has meaning when pain has been felt," he argued.

He was good, but I was better. Our eyes bored into each other's, green on grey, and suddenly, my vision tunneled so that it was just me, him, and the debate. I quickly fired off another round of words.

"Joy is synonymous to happiness. So you're saying you can't be happy if you haven't felt pain, which is not the case. Like, let's say you grew up and never once felt pain - emotionally, physically, or psychologically. Does that mean on your wedding day, you won't feel joy?" I challenged.

"That's not at all what I'm saying.

I am saying that you wouldn't ever be able to truly embrace happiness if you have not experienced something to contrast it."

"You may be right on that point," I conceded. "But that doesn't change the fact that the joy is still there. That said, justice is still there as well."

He nodded his respectively, a strange look in his eyes. Was it awe?

"You have me on that one," he said good-naturedly. "But I still have more. You talk about a supposed 'human nature'. But whose to say that this 'human nature' isn't the result of class structures in society?"

I held back a snort. "That's like saying we're all robots that don't feel emotion or kindness, love, just, or unjust, unless we have a class society, which is obviously not the case. Class society and classless society are ideas postulated by Karl Marx regarding the way society is organized. But there will never be an environment where it's impossible to be afraid or loving. That's something that's internal and rooted in emotion, something the material world can't interact with directly. Justice will always have meaning, because it is intrinsically a meaningful concept - a classless society, like communism or anarchy, would not do anything to change that," I finished.

I continued to stare intensely into his eyes as he reciprocated the action. I was breathing hard, having been worked up and talking with a passion. Once again, I'd failed to remember the rest of the class around us, seeing only me and only him. I had to admit, though, it was a nice change to really debate someone. He made me think, and I enjoyed the intellectually stimulating conversation.

I was brought back to earth by the sound of everyone clapping, and Percy let out an appreciative whistle.

"Damn." I smiled at him an he smiled back. "Aren't you something?" There was something peculiar about his smile, but nonetheless, it made me feel warm inside, even though that sounds hopelessly cliche.

He bowed is head slightly and held out his hand to shake. His hand was warm and fit perfectly with mine. I blushed slightly, and he must have noticed, because he glanced at our joined hands and back to my face before smirking slightly.

"I'm Percy," he introduced, clasping my hand a little longer than socially acceptable. "Debate team champion at my old school, newest member of this extremely crappy school, and hottest dork on the planet. And I'm thinking I'll need to keep an eye out for you."

I give his hand a firm shake before letting go.

"You bet you will."

And that, I suppose, is how it all began.

* * *

**So, as you can see, this is TOTALLY different from my original Cinderella. I know that you guys didn't want it to change, but yeah. You see, I have some big problems with original Cinderella (let's shorten it to OC for now). OC was very naive, unrealistic, a little too happy, and way to cliche for my taste. I want this to be a real story in which Annabeth faces everyday external and internal conflicts of real teenagers.**

**Don't worry, it's still going to be a Cinderella story. Annabeth's mom will still be dead, she'll still have two bratty stepbrothers, daddy problems, and an abusive stepmom. That won't change. But Annabeth's locket won't be the "glass slipper" of the story. Nico will still be morbid, Thalia will be Annabeth's crazy and charismatic best friend, and Leo will still be an idiot. But oh my gosh I reread OC and I made Percy a freaking teddy bear! He will NOT be bad boy; he's just overconfident. This story will just be more darker than the last and way more mature.**

**I know I've started off with really complicated topics. But I want this to be realistic. Plus, I've been reading a lot of John Green and he has this way of making you feel like your writing sucks.**

**I know most of you think I'm really clingy to this story. But it's really the perfectionist in me. Like, I got a 104 on a math test the other day but I requested a retake so I could get the 106. It's just who I am. If you guys don't like it, that's fine. Truthfully, I'm finishing up with what I have, and by December 31, I plan on having everything finished, and then I'm leaving FFN, but I certainly won't quit writing. But I really hope you'll accept what I've written because I know I've caused a lot of trouble with this.**

**Anywho, this chapter was based off of the Chomsky and Focault debate called Human Nature: Justice vs. Power. Shout out to TheLostRelic because we were talking about this debate and I took some of his words and put them into this chapter basically word for word (ha, as if I could come up with the words 'postulated' or 'intrinsically' or 'synonymous'. What do you think I am, a writer? Psh).**

**If you want to talk to me about anything, feel free to leave a review, PM me, or email me at hope [DOT HERE] schulz13 gmail [DOT HERE] com. Reviews are appreciated from anyone and everyone (including epic guests!).**

**Thanks guys so much.**

**DFTBA!**

**~HGC13**


	2. Rainbow the Toad

**Me. A Jimmy John's sandwich. My laptop. Sleeping in on a Monday morning. Could life get any better? IT CAN! I'm already emotionally attached to this story, which I haven't been to any of mine since Cinderella. Thanks for the support that I got for the first chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I was told I'm getting rights to PJO for my birthday, but I don't have it yet. :(**

**Happy Reading!**

* * *

"Annabeth! What happened to the last of the beer?!" a voice shrieked from downstairs. That would be Her Royal Highness aka my stepmom, Sue. She was about as nice as the White Witch from Narnia. My favorite part about her was when she was asleep, but even then she reeked up alcohol.

I groaned, rolling over on my bed and promptly falling to the floor with a nice _thump! _Nice, Annabeth. Totally smooth.

"Annabeth, get your scrawny ass down here!" Sue yelled unpleasantly. I untangled myself from the covers and got up, wondering if I could jump out my window and make a run for it. With my luck, the Witch would look into her magical ball and see me escaping, and would then proceed to climb on her broom and whisk me back into my prison.

So instead of vaulting out the window, I trudged down the stairs to face the darkness in doom that was forever in my destiny. Yeah, I'm being dramatic, but whatever.

When I got to the kitchen, Sue was standing in front of the fridge, hands on hips.

"Well?" she asked without preamble. I just gave her a blank look. It was _way _too early in the morning to deal with this nonsense.

"Where's the beer?" she snapped.

"You used the last of it last night when you brought your friends over," I stated.

"There was still one more in here," Sue said venomously.

"I'll get you some more today, if it makes you feel better," I said, shrugging. "But I honestly don't know what happened to it." Sue narrowed her eyes at me.

"Don't speak to me in that tone, young lady! And I don't want beer later; I want it _now._ Did _you _drink the last of it?" she asked accusingly. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"_I _don't drink. After all, _someone _has to take care of the house and the boys," I said snarkily. I was not in the mood for this. I blamed fatigue on my behavior. Sue's eyes flashed, and she stalked towards me.

"_Excuse me? _Your father and I - " I couldn't help it; I snapped.

"My father and nothing!" I interrupted. "My father is never home, hence you bringing a different man home every night. And you don't lift a finger. Who makes dinner every night? Who picks up the boys from daycare? Who goes grocery shopping? Who cleans up after you and whatever guy you bring home?" Something in me told me to stop, told me to calm down, but I didn't listen. I could see red in front of my eyes. "Who - "

_Smack!_

My head swung to the side as a slight sting made itself known on my cheek. I felt the blood rushing through my ears, and I saw Sue's eyes flashing. Shock laced its way to my face before I quickly smoothed it out to a blank, unreadable expression.

Sue just hit me. Sue just hit me. Sue just hit me. Sue totally just _hit _me. That was the only thought going through my head. I knew Sue was a jerk, but she had never gone so far as to hurt me physically. To be honest, I wasn't quite sure what I was supposed to do.

She stood right in front of me and looked down at me with condescending eyes. Her voice was deadly as she spoke her next words.

"_I _am the adult here. _You _are the child. _You _respect _me. _You will never speak that way to me again, you worthless piece of filth. You should be grateful for what I've given you. Instead you go around complaining about your oh so hard life. Well, I'm sick of it. After school, you will go straight to the store and pick me up two packs of beer, pick up the boys, come straight home, make dinner, clean the house, and then go to your room and stay there. Got it?"

I desperately wanted to say something like, "Well, that's nothing new," but I held my tongue and instead said, "Yes, ma'am."

Her eyes softened slightly. "Good girl," she said in a harsh voice. "Get going before you're late."

I nodded and headed back upstairs to get ready for school. Thank goodness it was a Friday. I quickly slid on a pair of jeans and an orange T-shirt, before heading to the bathroom and brushing my teeth. I quickly ran a brush through my thick curls, looking in the mirror sadly. My curls were just like my mom's before she had gotten cancer. They were wild, kind of out of control, and beautiful, just like our personality.

Looking in the mirror, I frowned at the red splotch covering my left cheek, thanks to Sue. I quickly grabbed some never-been-used-before concealer and applied it so that I could avoid unnecessary questions from my best friend, Thalia. Just glancing at the clock, I knew I was late, so I quickly grabbed my bag and scrambled out the door to meet Thalia, who was waiting for me.

"Hey!" she called. "You're late." I rolled my eyes.

"Thanks for reminding me," I said dryly. Thalia's electric blue eyes studied me carefully.

"What happened?" She knew me way to well. Her mom had disappeared a couple of years ago, a few months before my mother had lost her battle to cancer.

"Nothing, really," I lied. "I just woke of on the wrong side of the bed this morning." Then, thinking back to my falling off the bed I added, "Literally."

She looked at me for a moment. "I know you're lying to me, but I'm not going to pry right now, because I know you will tell me when you're ready." I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thanks, Thals."

"Any time, Annie," she responded, smiling slightly. I smacked her arm lightly.

"What have I told you about calling me Annie?" I chastised.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. So, anywho, that debate yesterday was epic. You should have seen Mr. Brunner's face. He was in shock. You and that Percy kid go well with each other."

"It was pretty awesome," I admitted. "Too bad our school doesn't have an actual debate team." Mr. Brunner taught History, so we often did our own political debates in class, and sometimes we'd just argue over any topic. Being in all the AP classes, we all enjoyed the challenge of debate.

"I wonder how you and Percy would do if it were both of you together going against a different team. You'd probably be unbeatable," Thalia said thoughtfully.

"We'd probably suck. I'm a solo worker. Besides, I'm _already _unbeatable," I joked.

"Somebody's getting cocky. Tsk, tsk. You know, you seriously should think about doing the annual town debate this year. I really think you could win. Mr. Brunner certainly thinks you could."

I snorted. "Yeah, right. I do debate for fun. It helps get things off my chest. As if I could win." When Thalia opened her mouth to protest, I cut her off. "And say I did have the potential to win. Do you honestly think Sue would let me out of the house?"

"Your dad - "

"Is never home. He'd just tell me to go ask Sue. No, Thalia. Maybe next year."

Thalia gave me an exasperated look. "But that's what you said last year! And the year before that, and the year before _that, _and the year - "

"Thanks, Thalia, I get it now." She just smiled. By then, we had reached the school doors. A river of students flowed through the hall, and it took five minutes just to get to my locker. Lucky for Thalia, her locker was towards the front of the school.

When I finally did get to my locker, the popular croud were standing in front of it. I usually didn't mind my school status as a nerd. In fact, I was quite proud of it. Plus, I got along with most people, even the people at the top of the pyramid. The only thing that sucked was that my locker was smack in the middle of all the jocks' lockers, which meant they were in the way every single day. Half the girls at school were jealous.

"Excuse me, guys," I said, trying to shove my way past them. They didn't budge. In fact, they didn't even appear to have heard me.

"_Excuse me!_" I said a little more insistently. No dice.

"Yo! You guys are gonna have to move!" I yelled. They all stopped bickering and turned around.

"Oh, sorry, Annabeth," Jason said apologetically.

"Yeah, yeah. Can't you guys go hang out in front of someone else's locker?" I asked as I put in the combination and grabbed the books I needed.

"We could... but we like hanging by your locker. We like to admire it's shiny poopy green-ness, right guys?" A couple of his friends laughed.

"God, Jason, you're so weird," I told him, shaking my head.

"Right back at you, princess. So I heard you had a showdown with Percy yesterday in Brunner's class." I looked at him, surprised.

"You know Percy?"

"Yeah," he said casually. "He joined the football team."

"Um, yay, I guess?" I said uncertainly. "And it wasn't really a showdown. It was just a little debate."

"I heard he's going to do the annual town debate. Think he's got the stuff to win?" Jason's friend, Nico, who was also on the football team, piped up. I shrugged.

"I wouldn't really know. He's good, but he picks the wrong side to argue. I'd have to hear him debate more. Anywho, I've gotta get to home room; Thalia's waiting."

"Okay, tell Piper I said hi and that I'll meet her after school," Jason said.

"Yeah, sure," I called before heading to class.

I smiled. Jason and most of his football friends were pretty awesome. I know most of you think that's weird since nerds and football player's don't get along, according to stereotype, but when it comes to Goode High School, stereotypes are sort of thrown out the window.

Of course, there's always that one stereotypical group who were popular jerks, but I do what I can to avoid them.

I strode into the classroom and joined Thalia, my two other friends, Piper and Hazel who all sat at the left center of the room. Why do we sit at that specific spot? Because sitting at the very front looks too nerdy, being in the very center seems like you're begging for attention, the back of the room is where most of the troublemakers sit, and the center right is too far away from the door for my liking. Did really just over analyze the seating, you might ask? Yes, yes I did.

"Hey, guys," I said sitting dow. They all smiled in greeting.

"What took so long?" Thalia asked. I rolled my eyes.

"Footballers. Oh, by the way, Pipes, Jason says hi and that he'll meet you after school," I told her.

"Oooooh, Jason and Piper sittin' in a tree!" Thalia started singing. "F-U-C - " I quickly smothered her mouth before she could finish spelling out that _very _inappropriate word. Kids, don't go singing that song at home. Poor Piper was completely red to the face. I shot Thalia a dirty look.

"Let's keep it rated PG in here, why don't we?"

"Me?" she asked innocently. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about." Hazel looked on with an amused smile.

To be honest, I had a bit of a soft spot for Hazel. She was always quiet, but she was so sweet and smart, and always had this ability to put others before herself. Hazel had this creepy sixth sense where she could always tell when something was bothering you; her observation skills were astounding. This was why I wasn't surprised when she suddenly fixed her stare on me and narrowed her eyes slightly.

"What happened?" she suddenly demanded sharply. Piper and Thalia stopped talking, confused.

"What do you mean?" Piper asked. "Didn't you hear what Thalia just sang?"

"No, not that," Hazel said dismissively, not taking her eyes off me. "I'm talking about Annabeth. _Something _happened to her, but I don't know what."

As all their stares turned to me, I suddenly became uncomfortable.

"Well?" Piper demanded.

"Um...?" was my intelligent answer. Truthfully, I'd been trying to put my encounter with Sue to the back of my head, but that obviously didn't work.

"Wait, are you wearing makeup?!" Piper asked _really _loudly. _Of course _Piper would be the one to notice the makeup.

"Sheesh, guys, quiet down! It's not that big of a deal," I said. They all looked at me as if I'd grown a second head.

"Um, excuse me? Annabeth Chase wearing makeup? If that's not a big deal, then I don't know what a big deal is," Piper said dramatically, while Hazel and Thalia looked at me skeptically.

"So why are you wearing makeup, then?" Thalia demanded. "If it's not a big deal then you should have no problem telling us." I threw up my hands in exasperation.

"Maybe I just wanted to freakin' look pretty!" I yelled, fed up with their probing. A sudden hush fell over the room, and all eyes turned to me, including Mr. Brunner's. Great, everyone had heard that. Now they were all giving me strange looks.

"Did I just hear _Annabeth Chase _say that she wants to be pretty?" a voice from the hallway asked. Oh. No. I clenched my hands into fists as Rachel Elizabeth Freaking Dare walked into the room.

Remember when I said there was always that one group of stereotypes? Yeah, well, Rachel was like the queen of that group. She was captain of the cheerleader team, owner of half the makeup in town, and she had rich parents. I wouldn't mind any of that, except for the fact that she thinks she's bigger and better than everyone else.

Thalia stood up. "So what if she _did _say that?" Thalia challenged in my defense.

"Calm down, Thals. She's not worth it," I muttered, tugging on her sleeve.

"Then I have only four words to say: good luck with that," she said, giggling, as she made her way to her seat in the very center of the room.

"That little - !"

"Thalia," Mr. Brunner warned from his desk. Thalia growled and sat back down. I smiled at the teacher, silently thanking him. He gave a small wink before going back to his work.

"I cannot stand her!" Thalia grumbled to us.

"No one can," Piper muttered. As Thalia continued to diss Rachel, I leaned back in my seat, secretly relieved that they had been distracted from the original conversation. Out of the corner of my eye, though, I could see Hazel staring intently at me, and I knew she wouldn't let it go.

* * *

I knew what was coming when Thalia, Hazel, and Piper dragged me into an empty classroom on the way to lunch. They all had determined looks on their faces, and I knew they wouldn't let me go until I told them. I hardly ever kept anything from them, so they knew something was up.

After closing the door and checking that it was locked, they turned to me.

"Alright, Annabeth. Give up; we know something happened."

I groaned. "Can't you guys just let it go?"

"Nope!" Thalia said cheerfully with a particularly malicious look in her eye. "If you won't tell us, then we'll tie you to a wall, and you'll be trapped here until you do." Thalia paused. "In retrospect, that sounded really dirty, so just ignore that last part.

"Thalia?" Piper said.

"What?"

"Do us all a favor and shut up."

"Shutting up now."

For a couple of minutes we all just stood there staring at each other, them trying to get me to say something, and me not having anything to say.

_Knock! Knock!_

Thalia cursed.

"Who is it?" Hazel asked curiously.

"Mr. Blofis," Thalia said unhappily. Mr. Blofis was our English teacher. He was a pretty cool guy, and he was new to the school, but everybody liked him.

"Open the door, then!" I said urgently, moving to unlock it. Thalia smacked my hand away.

"I said I wasn't letting you leave until you told us," she said firmly.

"You have got to be joking." I saw Mr. Blofis give us a strange look through the window.

"Um, guys, could you open up?" he called.

"Thalia," Piper warned.

"Annabeth," Thalia said in turn.

Desperate, I closed my eyes and said my next words super fast, hoping they wouldn't be able to tell what I was saying.

"Okay, look, so this morning Sue was yelling at me, because there was no more beer left, so she started accusing me of drinking the last of the beer. Then I said I couldn't have drank the beer, because I actually have responsibility, and she got mad saying thatI should be grateful for everything her and Dad give me. I mouthed off, she got mad, she slapped me in the face, and she ordered my to steal beer from the store after school today. That's it. The end. It's not a big deal. Now open the damn door!"

Hazel's eyes were wide, and Piper had her hand over her mouth. Thalia had a look of anger and shock on her face, and I knew this wouldn't be the end of it.

I shoved her hand aside and unlocked the door.

"Uh, sorry about that, Mr. Blofis," I said as he stepped in.

"Annabeth, may I ask what you guys are doing in here? Is everything okay?" he asked, looking concerned. Not that I could blame him. The looks on my friends' faces were kind of worrying.

"Yeah, no, everything's fine," I said, giving an innocent smile. He looked at me skeptically.

"So what are you doing in here exactly?" It was just then that Thalia decided to recover.

"If I may, Mr. Blofis. You see, Annabeth's magical toad, Rainbow, escaped during Mr. Brunner's class today, so we followed it in here. Then, Rainbow ran out and trapped us in the room, and we couldn't open it until just now." I could have face-palmed.

"I'd believe that, except the lock is on the inside," Mr. Blofis pointed out. I almost laughed at Thalia's baffled look.

"You have to remember - Rainbow is a _magical _toad," Piper said matter-of-factly. How she managed to keep a perfectly straight face while sounding absolutely convincing, I'll never know.

"Quick, LOOK! There he is!" Thalia shrieked before grabbing my arm and very rudely pushing past Mr. Blofis. I didn't have time to look back to see if Hazel and Piper were following.

We ran straight into the lunch room, where we blended in perfectly with the crowd. I clutched my side a glared at Thalia.

"You," I said, breathing hard, "are a total idiot."

Just then, Piper and Hazel turned up, out of breath as well.

"Agreed."

Thalia looked at us innocently. "Well, it worked, didn't it?"

I groaned. Today was going to be a long day

* * *

I stood outside the school doors, my friends standing at my side.

"Annabeth, don't do this. If you get caught, you'll get arrested. You're better than that," Hazel said in a hushed voice.

"You think I don't know that?" I asked in a strained voice. "Does it look like I really have a choice?"

"You could always call your dad," Piper reasoned. I snorted.

"Ha. Yeah, right. I tried that, actually, but he didn't pick up... as usual," I said bitterly. "Guys, I know this is horrible, but do you really think I haven't done this before?"

Hazel sucked in a breath. "How long?" I shrugged.

"Maybe a month? I don't know. Look, I'm used to it. I won't get caught; I know exactly what I'm doing. Just go home and pretend you don't know what I'm doing."

"Annabeth, let me come with you," Thalia pleaded. I groaned internally. This was exactly why I didn't want to tell them in the first place.

"NO. I. Am. Fine. Go home, and I'll meet up with you later," I said. "Please. Please do this for me," I pleaded. a note of desperation lacing my voice. They must have noticed, because their eyes softened.

"Guys. Let's let Annabeth do what she needs to do," Thalia said. I could hear the guilt in her voice. But she knew me enough. She knew it'd be worse for me to go home without the beer.

"What?! No!" Piper exclaimed, eyes wide.

"Sorry, guys. I gotta go," I said, quickly making a run for it.

I pushed past people, trying to make up for lost time. I still had to pick the boys up, and Sue would know if I was late, and she'd question me.

Thankfully, the gas station was only a ten minute walk from the school, and since I was jogging, I made it in six. I caught my breath and straightened my bag, and put my Yankees cap on before walking in casually, smiling at the cashier. She didn't even notice, because she was on her iPod, playing _Temple Run II,_ no doubt.

I took a deep breath and walked through the isles, grabbing a bag of chips to pay for. I casually inched towards the beer section, thankful that it was hidden behind a shelf.

Quick as lightning, I opened the door and grabbed one, two, three, four bottles and tucked them into my bag. I had just gotten to six, when I ran out of space. Sue had wanted two packs. _Well, she's just going to have to get over herself, _I thought to myself.

I closed the door with a flourish, pleased at how it was going so far. Just like clockwork.

That is, until I turned around and ran into something hard. It took me a couple of seconds before I realized I hadn't run into some_thing._

I had run into _someone._

"And just what do you think you're doing?"

Well, shit.

* * *

**I literally hate the whole second half, but I suppose that's inevitable. Will I ever be able to write something without thinking it sucks? I think not. That was a pretty huge chapter, so sorry for that. Definitely unrealistic, so this is where I'll use the excuse that I'm writing fiction. Also, I do realize the end was extremely rushed, but I've got to finish an essay that's due tomorrow.**

**Someone gave me a wrong review and then apologized for said long review. What I say to that is: DON'T APOLOGIZE. I simply adore long reviews! They let me know what a reader is really thinking. I rarely give short reviews. But both long and short reviews suffice, so yeah. Just don't feel bad for the long ones.**

**I hope y'all liked the chapter! **

**Also, WE ARE ADOPTING IN 10 DAYS! WHOO HOOO! Pretty excited! Life is hectic, so I'm not sure when I'll update next. Definitely sometime this week, though.**

**I have a poll on my profile regarding what happens after I leave fanfiction, so PLEASE vote on that! Thank you to the person who already has! **

**Question: Are any of you part of Nerdfighteria? **

**Love you! Reviews are appreciated from both members and guests!**

**DFTBA!**

**~HCG13**


	3. Chapter 3

***IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE BOTTOM!***

**Happy Reading!**

* * *

Here's the thing about stealing beer: there's always the chance that you'll get caught by a (somewhat) hot guy, who is kinda sorta not really your frienemy. Of course, the thought hadn't occurred to me until _after _I ran into said (somewhat) hot guy, thus leaving me in a situation where I could either 1) run and most likely get arrested or 2) fight and _still _get arrested. Neither optioned sounded appealing.

So I just stood there with a condescending look on my face, trying to make it look like I had the upper hand in the situation.

"Excuse me?" I said, my face still hidden by the hoodie. Percy raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms.

"I said, 'What do you think you're doing?'" he repeating, enunciating each word carefully. I scowled. This guy seriously needed to be taken down a notch.

"I don't _think _I'm doing anything. I _know _that I am at a gas station trying to get supplies. So if you would please move over..." I said, trying to shove past him. I managed to slide past him, but my triumph was short-lived as I felt two hands wrap around my waist from behind.

I reflexively swung out to hit him, but he caught my hand in his before I could make a blow. Thank God we were in the back of the store where the security guard couldn't see us. I elbowed him in the stomach, and he let out a small grunt but maintained his iron grip. I closed my eyes and relaxed in defeat.

"What the hell do you want from me?" I demanded, still looking down. It pained me to do so, since looking down is a sign of submission, but I didn't want him to recognize me.

"I want to know who you are and what business you have stealing beer from a gas station - from stealing beer at all."

My eyes flashed. Why couldn't he just leave me alone? And why _him, _of all people?

"Who said I was stealing it?" I shot back. "Besides, I don't think it's really any of your business anyway."

"I can certainly make it that security guard's business," he threatened calmly, nodding to the guard. Then he narrowed his eyes. "Lower your hood so I can see your face."

A small wave of panic welled inside me, but I pushed it down. Logically, I knew him finding out who I am was inevitable, but that didn't change me wanting to put if off.

"What are you, my mom?" I retorted, trying to keep a fierce facade.

"Certainly not, because if I was, I would have taught you not to steal beer. Obviously, your mom hasn't done her job right."

It was like being hit in the gut. I sucked in a sharp breath and nearly whimpered from the emotional pain of his words. _My mom couldn't have done her job, because she's dead! _I wanted to scream, but I kept my mouth sealed, completely paralyzed. What he said had been a low blow, though he couldn't have known.

Before I knew what was happening, I snapped out of it as anger rose within me like a snake ready to strike. I smacked him hard on the cheek before he could react.

"The hell?! Security!" he called, grabbing ahold of my wrists again.

Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit, _shit. _Another string of profanities ran through my mind before desperation took over and I yanked down the hood, praying that this would work.

"Percy," I whispered urgently. "Please, you can't do this."

He turned around to face me at the sound of his name. "How do you know my - Annabeth?" He paused, completely shocked.

"God, Percy, call him off! Please, you cannot do this! I will explain it all later as long as you keep your mouth shut," I begged, close to tears. "Please," I added in one last attempt. Percy studied my face before I saw something flash in his eyes, and his face softened.

"Fine. Just this once. But you had _better _give me a legit explanation later," he said sternly, giving me a hard look as the security guard came around the corner. "I don't even know why I'm doing this, as it is," he added, more to himself than to me. He looked up as the officer stepped over to us.

"Is there a problem over here?" he asked Percy, glancing at his hold on my wrist. I hadn't even realized he was still holding them. Percy hastily stepped away.

"Oh, I apologize, Officer! It was a false alarm. I thought this girl, here, was going to steal my wallet, but it turns out she was just handing it back to me after I dropped it," he said smoothly in a calm, collected voice. It kind of unnerved me how he could lie so easily, without a waver in his voice. Then again, I wasn't really one to talk.

I nodded and rolled my eyes, playing off a look of mild amusement. "Guys and their wallets. Sheesh, you guys are possesive," I said playing along. Percy tossed me an appreciative glance.

The officer looked back and forth between us, not seeming to be able to detect a trace of lie. He smiled a little bit. "Alright, you let me know if you need anything."

"Thanks, Officer."

He nodded and walked back to his post. Percy watched him walk away until he was around the corner. Quick as lightning, while Percy was distracted, I grabbed my bag and sped towards the doorway, passing the security guy with a bright smile, before I walked out the door.

"Wait! Annabeth!" I heard Percy yell behind me.

But I was long gone.

* * *

"Why the hell were you late picking the boys up?" Sue growled. I groaned inwardly. It was one o'clock in the morning, and I'd been awoken by none other than Her Highness herself, who just _had _to interrogate me. What a lovely way to wake up.

"I'm so sorry. I was only like five minutes late," I said groggily.

"I don't want apologies - I want explanations! Now!" she snapped. I flinched at the smell of alcohol coming from her mouth.

"I had to stay behind and talk to my teacher about an assignment we were working on in class. I was sort of confused, so I asked him to explain it to me," I lied smoothly.

Sue laughed without humor. "Of course you did. You're too dumb to figure out how to do anything for yourself. I suppose you get it from that stupid mother of yours."

I was instantly snapped awake, blood roaring in my ears. _No one _insults my mother.

"My mother was smarter than you will ever be! Don't bring her into this!"

Sue knelt down and grabbed my hair, yanking back on it. I clenched my teeth at the sharp prickles of pain.

"Let's not forget who the adult here is, Annabeth. You do not disrespect me like that, you ungrateful brat. Have you ever thought that it says something that I'm here and your mother is not? Hmm? Or was that thought too powerful for such a tiny little brain to comprehend?" She chuckled to herself.

Fury boiled within me to a fever pitch, and it was all I could do not to lash out, but I knew I had to be careful. Drunk Sue is not someone you want to mess with.

"My mom was never weak, if that's what you're implying," I said with a calm I did not feel.

"Of course she was. A strong person would have survived that stupid disease. It's pathetic!" she spat.

Under normal circumstances, with a normal person, I'd probably beat the shit out of anyone who said that. But this was not a normal circumstance, and Sue was far from normal. I knew from experience that messing with a drunk person who already hates you is foolish, so I tried to push the anger down.

Sue took my silence as an act of agreement.

"Exactly," she said with satisfaction, letting go of my hair. Sue stood up and looked down at me. "I want you up bright and early tomorrow morning to make me breakfast. When you get home from school, they'll be a list of chores for you to do."

_What else is new? _I thought sarcasticly to myself. She started to walk out of the room, but just before she closed the door, she spun on her heel, and fixed me with a sharp glare.

"Oh, and Annabeth? If anyone should hear about our little conversation, well... Let's say there are worse things I could do than yank your hair." And then she left.

I just stared at the closed door, trying to process what just happened.

"Well, good night to you, too," I mumbled, sinking back into the covers, hoping that it was all just a stupid dream.

* * *

**Okay, so obviously that sucked, and I'm not just saying that. It genuinely sucked. And honestly? I don't want any comments from you guys telling me that it sucked, because I KNOW IT DID! I've been dealing with a lot, and writing hasn't been my main priority. Plus, I've had major writer's block. Shoutout to TheLostRelic for that little pep talk you gave me to really start writing again.**

**So look guys, my sister is pregnant and is supposed to have her baby, like, REALLY soon. The problem is, the baby only weighs 5 pounds which is extremely lightweight, and we're not sure the baby's lungs and brain are going to fully develop. From what I've been told, there's a big possibility of a miscarriage. Plus, my sister lives almost 3 hours away, so now I'm always tense at school, just waiting to be called.**

**Then, things with the adoption just aren't going particularly well, and my mom and I just just going through a lot of stress. Jazz band starts on Wednesday, math team starts soon, and I have a band concert to play at, along with horse shows. I have three school projects due as well. Also, I think I'm going to enter NaNoWriMo, and I've already started working on it.**

***SPOILER ALERT* On the upside, House of Hades came out, and it was pretty good. It wasn't particularly amazing, though. *dodges knives* I don't know... something about the books seems so forced now, as if he's picking at straws, trying to find Greek/Roman stuff to put in the story. Leo was awesome, Hazel was pretty BA, and while I still hate Jason and Piper, they were SO much more tolerable. I think it was very noble of Jason to step down and give Frank praetorship. I got the book the day it came out, which was pretty awesome. Bob and tiny Bob or whatever it was called just melted my heart. :,( All in all, the book was very good, it's just not, like, OHMYGOSH THIS IS EPIC! Oh, yeah, and Nico's gay, which totally sucks, because that crushed any hope of me being with him, lol. Also, I hate the title "Blood of Olympus". It seems kinda, like, ostentatious and blunt and dramatic. Like, it's probably supposed to be, but yeah. Any thoughts?**

**Also, there is going to be some cussing in this story. I hate cussing and I very rarely cuss, but sometimes you have to be realistic, and it just enhances the character's feelings a little more. But I don't encourage cussing, and I can't stand when people use it in every sentence.**

**Shoutout to xXxJaceInWonderlandxXx for PMing me on my birthday! You are so sweet! So Chubbypandaz quite literally forced me to make an Instagram account, so if you're bored or wanna know what I'm up to, just go to horsecrazygirl13. I posted some Allegiant teasers on there. OHMYGOSH Allegiant comes out the day after tomorrow, like WHAT IS AIR?! SO EXCITED!**

**I know guys, this was a short chapter with a long author's note, but I was not going to give you just an author's note. That wouldn't be fair after all this time.**

**Anywho, I LOVE YOU GUYS! YOU'RE ALL AMAZING! And please try to be a little understanding to my lack of updates! If you need something to read, go check out TheLostRelic, Blondie B. Happy, and MaydayParade8123's stories. They are all good friends and even better writers! I'll do what I can to write more, but I may need some encouragement now and then. **

**LOVE YOU ALL!**

**~HCG13**


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